When Todd Kostrub, of Surf City, LBI, finally came to terms with the years of abuse that he suffered under the hands of a Franciscan Clergyman, he spoke to his family and brother-in-law who was a Seargent in the NJ State Police. He was 31. The police went to clergyman, Brother Munn of Holy Assumption Church in Roebling.

Surprisingly, when Brother Munn was detained, he confessed to everything, even particular instances of abuse that Todd had managed to block out after all these years.Todd was surprised by the confession, to say the least. But something even more surprising happened a few hours after Munn was detained. Munn was released.

According to a N.J. statute, a victim of abuse has to report the incident two years from the day they turn 18. In order to stop this predator, Kostrub would need to have reported the abuse 11 years earlier. That would mean about a day after the abuse stopped and Kostrub left for college, give or take a few hours,he would have needed to march down to the station and file a report.

Such a statue would almost be laughable if we weren't talking about such a heinous crime. Many child victims of abuse, especially those of child sexual abuse, take years to come to terms with what they suffered, let alone report it to the police. Kostrub couldn’t believe such a statute existed, but it did.

So, the man who abused him from his 7th birthday until the time Kostrub left for college walked free after only a couple hours of being detained. The priests at his rectory told him they wanted to send him to a program for pedophile priests in Indianapolis. He agreed. Somewhere during transit, he absconded.

He walked out and moved back to Dewitt, MI, where he originated from. In the NJ State Police Report, it was alleged that he was sexually abusing children in 1971. Hence, he was shipped to Roebling, NJ.

Brother Munn began his life back in Michigan. He took on a full time firefighting job. He applied to be a Boy Scouts of America leader, but was rejected. He bought a house across from a playground.

He even become a prominent member of the Knights of Columbus and landed the role of VP of Ushering. For those who aren’t schooled in Catholicism, the Knights of Columbus is a laypersons level of church. Becoming an active member of the clergy may out him. This was Munn's only option; the closest he could get to the church.

In this KoC role he would be involved with adolescents, training them to become ushers in the church. He would train these children privately.

Kostrub spent years in therapy; sleepless nights wondering where this perpetrator was and who he would target next. He was haunted. It wasn’t until Munn became a prominent member of the Knights of Columbus that Kostrub located Munn and was able to follow him, somewhat. It was because of Kostrub that Munn was denied application to BSoA. Kostrub, after learning of Munn's whereabouts, alerted them.

Eventually the pain and anger turned into action and Kostrub decided to fight the statute. He couldn’t live knowing another child was being sexually abused. He decided to fight to change the statute.

Three years ago he joined forces with Mark Crawford, Executive Director of SNAP, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests to promote legislation to change the statute of limitations so that, ultimately, these predators could be stopped.

Kostrub, with the help of over one hundred other victims, has been fighting ever since.
The years of suffering and fighting to be heard came to a head when he got the chance to meet with the NJ Judiciary Assembly and the Senate Judiciary Committee last week to testify so Bills A2405 and S1651 would be released for a full vote by the assembly and senate.

They would do away with the statue of limitations that states a child who is a victim of sexual abuse has two years, from the day they turn 18, to report the abuse. Todd hopes that will occur on Thursday or Friday.

I do too.

New Jersey would join 10 other states eliminating the two-year time limits on civil lawsuits if the full Legislature approves the bill and Gov. Chris Christie signs it into law, according to Marci Hamilton, a Yeshiva University law professor. "What we have in New Jersey is overwhelming silence and a law that protects predators," Hamilton said.

I'm always very amazed how the suffering has not tainted his views on Catholicism, or God. He is steadfast in his belief in Jesus Christ. He ends every conversation with, "God bless you." We actually became friends when he bumped into me reading a Bible down the shore.

We've been friends ever since. His story of abuse unfolded with our friendship. He is perky and optimistic by day, but at night he suffers. He fights bouts of insomnia with night terrors. He wakes up screaming and sweaty. His girlfriend Courtney spends nights keeping watch, holding onto him, anything to help make the daylight come faster.

I finally got the guts to ask Todd the other day about Christianity and forgiveness. He is a very religious, proud Catholic man. Has he ever contemplated forgiving Munn?

After a long pause he explained, “Here’s the thing, as a Catholic and a man who loves Jesus that is something to be explored, but only after he has been stopped. He is still out there preying on children. I will cross the bridge of forgiveness after he is stopped.”

Right now we are asking people to contact assembly persons and senators to ask them if they support these bills that will be voted on by Thursday or Friday. Each district has two assembly persons and one senator.

Click here to find your assemblyperson/senator. It takes five minutes. If you call your assembly person, ask them how they will vote on Bill A2405. If you call your senator, simply ask how they with vote on Bill S1561. Ask them if they vote for or against child sex predators.

Hundreds of laws are voted on everyday, do you know of any off the top of your head? If you do, bravo, but most people don't know a single one, which leads me to this, if you call and ask your district assembly persons and senators about a specific bill, they are moved to action. It is a big deal and they equate each call with ten votes.

Please, call, share this. Right now it is looking pretty good in The Senate, but not so sure about The Assembly. So, if you needed to choose who to bother first, it is your assembly people that must be called first.

I pray for my friend a lot. I haven't got the strength to pray for Munn, yet. Maybe I am like Kostrub and will cross that bridge when these bills are passed and he is stopped.